Garden Center Road Trip in Wisconsin

I'm ankle-deep in coral bells, squinting at a plant tag, mentally weighing the price against how much I really want Heuchera 'Amethyst Myst'. Yes, it's one of my favorites, but here at The Flower Factory, 15 miles south of Madison, Wisconsin, I can choose from 66 other varieties.

It's a happy problem. For that kind of selection, I take at least one road trip every spring. It feeds a gardener's primal urge: Must hunt for plants.

Boring but necessary stuff -- like potting soil -- I can get from a blocky building with a parking lot the size of Nebraska. But for stuff that grows, give me a destination. I'm not alone: More gardeners are shopping at a local garden center than a mass merchant, according to a recent survey by the Garden Writers Association.

Pictured at left: Nancy Nedveck, co-owner of The Flower Factory, holds one of nearly 100 hardy geranium varieties they sell.